We thought 2017 was a big year for the Shire of Dardanup in terms of significant projects coming to fruition and exciting developments appearing in the pipeline.
But when I THINK Ahead to what’s in store for 2018, I can see the past 12 months was probably no match for what we have coming up now.
Early in the new year, we’ll see the much-anticipated opening of the $15m Treendale Bridge – a joint project between Main Roads WA, the Shire of Dardanup and the Shire of Harvey.
The 224m bridge will provide a direct link between Millbridge in Eaton and Treendale in Australind and will no doubt provide significant flow-on benefits for both communities.
Great progress is expected during 2018 on our most significant planning projects – WA’s newest city Wanju and the Waterloo Industrial Park.
District Structure Plans for both the urban and industrial expansion projects will be finalised in partnership with the WA Department of Planning.
Council will adopt its new 2018-2028 Strategic Community Plan which captures our vision, values, aspirations and objectives for the future of the Shire of Dardanup. It is the foundation for Council corporate planning and resource allocation.
Planning and development of new community facilities will be a big focus in 2018 with designs expected to progress on the new Eaton Library and co-located Shire Administration Centre.
Plans will also be adopted for future community facilities in Dardanup and Burekup.
Drainage improvements at Glen Huon Reserve will be completed along with works on the car park and fencing at Gnomesville.
On a broader front, we’re hoping to see a positive outcome on lobbying efforts for Federal Government funding to progress the Bunbury Outer Ring Road and begin implementing the first few outcomes of the Bunbury Geographe Regional Tourism Strategy.
These items require continuation of our ongoing collaborative approach with other local governments, industry and State and Federal Government departments to further enhance the already spectacular lifestyle we enjoy in this region.